First Century Life
for the Jews
The Synagogue
• “The synagogue served as the center of the
various Jewish communities….Life as a
whole, and all of life was the subject of
religion. Gatherings on the Sabbath for
Torah study and prayer were especially
sacred, but the educational and judicial
functions of the synagogue belong also to
an understanding of Jewish religion”
(Roy Bowen Ward, “Jewish Religion in the First
Century,” The World of the New Testament,
Abraham Malherbe, ed., Austin, Texas: R. B.
Sweet Co., Inc., 1967, p. 77).
The Elders
• “The Jewish community was usually
under the oversight of a council of
elders (Luke 7:3; 8:41) who were
especially concerned with judicial
affairs within the Jewish community
and represented that community before
the Romans” (Ward, p. 77).
Scribes (Lawyers)
• While the Torah was first taught by the
priests, by the first century “non-priestly
teachers and scholars of the Torah, the
scribes (lawyers: Heb. sopherim, ‘the men of
the book’; see Matt. 7:29; Mark 2:16; Luke
10:25)” (Ward, p. 78).
• Scribes can be seen in Jerusalem, Judea and
Galilee (Luke 5:17; Matthew 12:38; 15:1).
• In fact, they were vital in Babylon and
throughout the dispersion (Edersheim, p. 46).
Scribes (Lawyers)
• While often seen in association with the
Pharisees, the scribes held an office as
learned students, exegetes and
teachers of the law.
• Edersheim said they were “the ultimate
authority on all questions of faith and
practice” (p. 47).
• He also noted, they, along with the chief
priests and elders, judged on
ecclesiastical matters.”
Scribes (Lawyers)
• “The scribes were learned men who
preserved, copied and expounded the law
and the tradition (Ez. vii. 6, 12; Neh. vii. 1;
Matt. xv. 1-6; xxiii. 2-4; Mark xii. 35; Luke
xi. 52). They were also called ‘lawyers’
(Mark xii. 28; Matt. xxii. 35), and ‘doctors
of the law’ (Luke v. 17-21).”
(J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The
Fourfold Gospel, Cincinnati: The Standard
Publishing Foundation, n.d., p. 166).
Jesus and the Scribes
• Unlike the scribes, Jesus taught with
authority (Matthew 7:29).
– “They spoke on the authority of Moses or
the elders, but Jesus taught by his own
authority. Their way was to quote minute
precedents supported by endless
authorities….Contrast with this the oftrepeated ‘I say unto you’ of Jesus—Matt. v.
18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 34” (McGarvey, pp. 166167).
• Jesus said their traditions resulted in
vain worship (Matthew 15:1-9).
Jesus and the Scribes
• Jesus’ death would, in part, be because of
the scribes (Matthew 16:21; 20:18).
• Jesus condemned their hypocrisy.
– He recognized their authority in expounding the
law, but not in their example (Matthew 23:1-3).
– He said their traditions bound heavy burdens
on men (Matthew 23:4).
– He said they loved attention from men (5-12).
– The Lord said they made a mockery of the real
spirit of following God and led others in the
same (Matthew 23:13-39).
Historical Background of the
Pharisees
• “When Mattathias unfurled the banner of
revolt against the heathenizing policy of
Antiochus Epiphanes, …he was joined
before long by a class calling themselves
Assideans (1 Macc. ii. 42), who seem to
have been already in existence as a distinct
party, and bound by a vow to the strict
observance of the law”
(G. F. Maclear, A Class-Book of New Testament
History, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1952, pp. 115-116).
Antiochus ruled the Hellenist Seleucid Empire starting in 175 B.C.
Historical Background of the
Pharisees
• They protested against their countrymen
who were becoming increasingly infected
by heathen customs, describing the
Hellenizing faction as the impious, the
lawless and the transgressors (1 Macc.
1:1; 3:6, 8; 4:21; 7:5; 9:23).
• The name Assideans means “the pious”,
which well describes their strict
observance of the Law (Maclear, p. 116).
Historical Background of the
Pharisees
• After the Maccabees triumphed, “the
tenets of the Assideans rapidly gained
ground, and received their complete
development in those of the Pharisees,
from Perashin, to separate, the
Separatists, who are also first distinctly
mentioned during the time of the highpriest Jonathan, B.C. 145” (Maclear, p.
116).
Characterizing the Pharisees
• “The New Testament, Josephus, and
rabbinic literature agree in characterizing
the Pharisees as those most concerned with
accurate interpretation of the law and with
promoting their own tradition. Josephus
gives their number in the first century as six
thousand and attributes to them the greatest
influence of any party on the common
people”
(Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early
Christianity, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 2003, p. 515).
The Pharisees
• “Originally these men were genuine
patriots and reformers, but afterwards the
majority of them became mere formalists.”
– The Zealots were the extreme of this group.
• The Pharisees “believed (1) in the
resurrection of the dead; (2) a future state
with rewards and punishments; (3) angels
and spirits; and (4) a special providence of
God carried out by angels and spirits”
(McGarvey, p. 72).
The Pharisees
• While they had a great zeal for Moses’
Law, they were especially known for
“their rigorous interpretation of its
precepts and doctrines…mainly guided
by Oral Tradition, the traditions of the
Elders (Mtt. xv. 2; Mk. vii. 3).”
• This supplementary written material was
supposed to have been received by
Moses on Sinai and passed on to Joshua,
then the elders, followed by the prophets
and, then, the men of the Great
Synagogue (Maclear, pp. 116-117).
The Pharisees
• “As exponents of the Law, (i) they
attached an undue importance to the
outward act as compared with the
inward spirit and motive; (ii) they were
rigorous in exacting every external
ceremonial, especially in reference to
washings, fastings, tithes and alms;
and (iii) were noted for pride and
austerity” (Maclear, p. 117).
Pharisees in the New Testament
• They placed a heavy emphasis on
externals (Matthew 12:1-2).
• Their tradition was more important to
them than Moses’ Law (Matthew 15:1-14;
Mark 7:1-13).
• They stressed keeping the law in the
smallest things while neglecting the
weightier things (Matthew 23:23-24).
Jesus and the Pharisees
• Luke 6:6-11 Jesus believed human
need superseded ritual requirements.
• Matthew 12:22-32; Mark 3 The
Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out
demons by Beelzebub, prince of the
demons.
• John 9:13-34 The Pharisees struggled
to find a way to explain the restoration
of the blind man’s sight.
Jesus and the Pharisees
• Matthew 19:1-9 The Pharisees tested
Jesus on the question of divorce.
• “Hillel allowed divorce for any cause,
whereas Shammai limited it to sexual
immorality and immodest behavior”
(Ferguson, p. 518).
• Jesus stressed God’s original marriage
design (purpose).
The Sadducees
• “The Sadducees were the party of the
wealthy priests…and their friends in
the aristocracy (Acts 5:17). They
combined conservative religious
attitudes with power politics. They
rejected the Pharisees’ innovations,
and their interpretations were stricter
than those of the Pharisees”
(Ferguson, p. 519).
The Sadducees
• The “Sadducees controlled the temple
ritual.”
• “They may be characterized as both
conservative and compliant. After the
coming of Rome, they encouraged
collaboration with the ruling power and
were interested in maintaining the
status quo, which preserved the peace
and their power and influence. Their
center of strength was the temple”
(Ferguson, p. 519).
The Sadducees’ Beliefs
• The Sadducees accepted only the written
law of Moses as authoritative and rejected
the oral law of the Pharisees.”
• Even the prophets and writings, although
not rejected, were not treated as a source
of doctrine” (Ferguson, p. 520).
• “They believed that there was a God, but
denied that he had any special supervision
of human affairs (Matt. xxii. 23; Acts xxiii.
8). They were the materialists of that day”
(McGarvey, p. 73).
The Sadducees and John
• Matthew 3:1-12 They came to John when he
was preaching and baptizing in the
wilderness.
– Vipers – extremely poisonous snake
– Who warned you to flee? – reference to
escaping destruction, however, it could not be
accomplished by a ritualistic baptism.
– Instead, their lives must bear the fruit of the
change such submission suggests.
– Apparently, they relied on their being children of
Abraham and getting an automatic entrance into
the Messianic kingdom.
– God was ready to cut down fruitless trees.
The Sadducees and Jesus
• Matthew 16:1-4 They came seeking a
sign.
– Jesus indicated they could read the signs
in the weather very well.
– He said the only sign they would be given
would be that of the prophet Jonah.
• Matthew 16:5-12 Jesus warned of the
leaven of their teaching.
The Sadducees and Jesus
• Matthew 22:23-33; Luke 20:27-40 Jesus
cited a passage from the Pentateuch
(Exodus 3:6) in support of the
resurrection.
• Acts 23:8 indicates they did not believe
in angels or spirits, but angels were
active in the Pentateuch. It might be
they did not go along with the
extensive beliefs of the Pharisees
about angels and demons.
The Sadducees and the Apostles
• Acts 4:1-4 They took Peter and John into
custody following the healing of the lame
man and preaching about Jesus’
resurrection.
• Acts 5:12-42 They seized all the apostles
because of jealousy.
• Acts 22:30-23:10 Turmoil arose between
the Sadducees and Pharisees when Paul
said he was on trial because of his belief
in the resurrection.